Nephew of ex-Town star targets goals for Norfolk non-league strugglers

Striker Alex Kiwomya, a former youth player at Chelsea and nephew of Chris, goes straight into consideration for the Linnets' home game against Halifax on Saturday.

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The club are currently struggling just a place above the relegation zone in the National League, although they have three games in hand on many sides above them. They have enjoyed a dream last couple of seasons, defying the odds to win two straight promotions.

Kiwomya, 24, was released by National League rivals Chesterfield last month. He began his career in the youth ranks at Chelsea and has since appeared in Leagues One and Two with the likes of Barnsley – where his father Andy played - Crewe and Doncaster.

Chris Kiwomya, centre, celebrates promotion with Town in 1992 (Image: Archant)

During his time at Doncaster, the young striker overcame a rare illness - auto-immune condition Guillain-Barré syndrome. At one point, he feared his career was over.

“I lost feeling in my legs,” he explained. “I went in last day of pre-season and couldn’t run and obviously that is the strongest part of my game. It took a while to diagnose it but because it was so rare I went for a lot of scans and ended up seeing a neurologist who just said ‘look, you need to go to hospital tomorrow - you are going to have fluid taken from your spine and we will analyse it’.

“When I first went in they didn’t think I would play again – and then after being in hospital I slowly started to work on just walking again, then jogging and then getting basic movements back.

“It took me a while to get used to doing basic things again but when I got that I just hit the ground running.”

Of his move to Lynn, he added: "What they have done in the last two seasons getting back-to-back promotions is massive and it just shows what the team is about and what they are working for and it is something I want to be a part of.”